For the first time since I was a wee lad, Toy R Us will be producing no Christmas catalog. Sears may have one, but I suspect they will be gone by this time next year. Best Products, it turns out, went out of business in 1997.
In other words, there will be no Christmas Catalogs this year.
Oh, how I remember waiting for them, once upon a time. The day they came in the mail was the greatest day of the Fall. My sister and I would carefully go through the toy section and circle the things that we each wanted - then, somehow magically, Santa got the message and at least a few of them appeared under the Christmas tree.
Sadly though, those days are gone. I kind of wonder how families go it now - is it advertising? Is it a list? Is it something posted on GiantRiver.com as "Wish List"?
One thing it is not - and will never be again: a child under the covers with a flashlight, pouring over the colored picture wonders of possibilities and picturing what each of them would be like to own.
I remember those toy catalogue days as well. And I'm sure our parents were happy that it kept us out of their hair for hours on end! I hadn't thought about it, but usually by this time of year we've gotten at least 6 or 8 smaller catalogues in the mail. We haven't gotten a one. I don't watch television, but I'm sure that's where the enticing commercials are. Plus it seems most toys are themed from movies and programming nowadays. I don't even know who I'm looking at when I go birthday and Christmas shopping for my granddaughters. One good thing about no longer getting catalogues in the mail, I don't buy as much!
ReplyDeleteThe kids huddle under the covers with iPads now, I would suspect.
ReplyDeleteI remember the big Sears Wish Book catalog every year, too.
ReplyDeleteKids are missing a lot now days.
And I am sure they see it all online.
I saw a commercial today for Christmas toys, as Leigh says, themed to a movie that hasn't even been released yet.
For a long time it was impossible to find Legos that weren't themed, so to speak, also. They have finally started releasing "classic" Legos again, but the other theme Legos are still there.
Leigh - You remind as well that we have gotten almost no catalogs at all so far either. The Ravishing Mrs. TB goes out and gets a paper on Thanksgiving (the only paper we buy) to review the ads - other than that, almost nothing comes now. I suppose they are on TV - but we, like you, never watch it any more (and even that will eventually die, overrun by online videos and streaming with people who have no patience with commercials).
ReplyDeleteMuch like they neighborhood milkman (who I barely remember), a passing legacy of another age.
Glen - you are probably right. Online is probably all most have interest in or patience for any more.
ReplyDeleteLinda - Good point. It certainly seems like almost everything is tied to some other marketing, like movie or a TV show (or if Legos, its own movie or TV show). All marketing all the time, any more.
ReplyDeleteIndependent toys, like almost everything else independent, are going the way of the dinosaur.